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What's it all about?

Fast approaching 30 I've fallen in to teaching, a career though championed by many amongst my friends and family, I've tried desperately to avoid. Worse still I appear to have missed the heyday when students were keen and wages were plenty. Having left city-life behind to support my partner through a prolonged recovery from cancer, it's clear I've become isolated, not only from my old life, but from the future I hoped it would lead to...

My names Drew, I'm 29 and I like to eat satsumas segment by segment, draining the juice from each and then chewing on the skin.

I dwell in the North of England under the greyest of clouds, in a land where the main export of industry is rain, living with my partner and our two cats.

Consistently denied entry in to the land of slumber, by a wandering mind and Pickle, a ferocious young feline, coated with night itself, I'm forced to scratch away the nights writing until digital cramp ensues.

Addicted to strong, rich tea, I find myself lost in a cruel, caffeinated world, forever to be hooked on the black, unsweetened junk.

I studied Music for 3 years before completing a degree in Media Studies and consequently worked in the Media Industry in various roles for about 6 years, at which point my partner became ill and I chose to leave the Media behind and spend more time with him. I had already grown weary of the industry, my partners illness merely acted as a catalyst to my leaving, thus I decided to complete my teacher training certificate and that's what I do at the moment.

Since about the age of 11 I've had a growing interest in writing. I've had a few poems published here and there but sadly nothing since, mainly due to the fact that during my late teens and early twenties I developed and maintained the attention span of a gnat, unable to finish any of my work. However nothing is more motivating than a job you don't enjoy and despite me loathing teaching, it has spurred me on to finish my first novel (just...). This year I'll be searching for a literary agent in order to get it published.

I love world cinema (Not that I can ever find anyone to go with me to watch any foreign films...) and I also love drama and comedy, who doesn't love to laugh? Music is another great passion, I generally enjoy most genres, but I played saxophone for about 14 years and dabbled with piano too, so I probably favour certain styles of music more than others.

I think that's about it really, doesn't seem to look like much when you put it on a page like this though. Anyway with my 30th birthday looming on the horizon I thought I'd start a blog to generally document my final days of living in my 20's and hopefully show some progress both personally and professionally. Hopefully this is far too early in my life to be referred as a midlife crisis! In truth I just want to feel as though I've achieved something. Maybe it sounds a little shallow, but as writing is my greatest passion, I suppose having my work published would validate me somewhat.

Now I'm not totally naive. I don't expect to make millions and I'm certainly not chasing fame. And I don't expect that my first book will be published before my 30th birthday, five months is a very short space of time in which to find an agent and a publisher. But I do have faith in my work and I'm confident over the next 12 months I can at least find an agent. I'll keep you posted though...